You are my sunshine
by jwg676
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto goes missing, chapter one
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** You are my sunshine

**Rating:** G

**Pairing / Characters: **Uzumaki Naruto, the rookie nine, Tsunade and Jiraiya

**Word Count: **1,054 words

**Warnings: **No spoilers I can imagine

**Summary: **Naruto disappears

**A/N: **Part one of a little something I came up with… part two to follow!

_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine_

_You make me happy when skies are grey_

_You'll never know dear, how much I love you_

_So please don't take my sunshine away_

prologue

He hadn't even seen it coming.

Waking from a restless sleep, he had heard footsteps somewhere in the dark apartment but unable to guess their direction, he had remained in bed, tense, one hand inching towards the kunai pouch he had left carelessly on the bedside table.

Even so, it had been too late. An arm had wrapped around his throat, the other hand clamped against his mouth to stifle the instinctive yell. He hadn't been totally paralyzed, and had fought his attackers tooth and nail despite the fact that he didn't know how many of them there were.

In the morning, all that was left of his presence in Konoha was a dirty orange jumpsuit crumpled at the foot of his bed, a kunai embedded in a poster opposite the kitchen table, several muddy footprints, a cracked Konoha hitae-ate and a single, bloody handprint on the wall.

Uzumaki Naruto was gone.

of grey skies and rain clouds

Shikamaru sighed. 'This is so troublesome.'

Sakura nodded despondently. 'All it does is rain. All day and all night, every single moment of every single hour of every single day…'

It was an exaggeration on her part, but not by much. For the last two days, all it had done was rain, turning Konoha's streets into pools of muddy water that none but shinobi could successfully navigate.

Restless, bored with staying at home and watching the rain, the genin and Shikamaru had eventually gathered in the dojo, hoping to burn off excess energy by training with each other. Lee, naturally, had the most energy to burn off, and it had taken two fights with Neji, one with Tenten, three with Ino, and one with Chouji to satisfy his thirst for the "power of youth".

Now though, ten genin and one chuunin were sitting in the entrance hall, doing exactly what none of them actually wanted to – watching the rain.

'At least the flowers are getting water,' Hinata volunteered shyly.

Ino perked up. 'That's true. Even if I hate it, rain is good for business. It's been so bad lately.'

'Well, with Konoha the way it is, most of our energy is going into fixing things up,' Kiba pointed out before sniggering.

'At least the Fifth has found a way to keep Naruto out of her hair.'

At that, everyone laughed.

Tsunade had indeed found a way to keep him out of trouble- helping to repair the faces on the Hokage mountain. As no missions had come in of late, Naruto had spent the last week on the face of the Third, seeming to take unusual care in doing the repairs.

'He'll be the only one enjoying the rain, then,' Chouji said, 'since it means he doesn't have to do any work at all.'

'Come to think of it, has anyone seen him today at all?' Sakura asked suddenly.

Shikamaru shrugged. 'Training, probably. Either that or Tsunade-sama has sent him on another mission.'

'Sent who on another mission?'

Shikamaru jumped. 'Godaime!'

Tsunade planted her hands on her hips. 'Who am I supposed to have sent on a mission?'

'Er… Naruto. We haven't seen him today, and we were wondering – '

Tsunade interrupted. 'You haven't seen him? At all?'

Neji frowned. 'Is something wrong, Tsunade-sama?'

Tsunade sighed. 'No, no, nothing. He had a physical examination this morning but he missed it.'

'Sleeping late, probably,' Ino muttered. 'The lazy, good for nothing…'

'Ino!' Hinata protested – and then blushed.

'Bah, I'll find him sooner or later,' Tsunade grinned evilly. 'No one gets away from me in my own village…'

The group watched her stalk off, muttering pithily under her breath about stupid genin and their stupid habits apprehensively.

Ino glanced at Sakura. 'How you train under her is a mystery, Sakura. That woman is scary.'

Sakura just smiled, while inner Sakura roared 'Hell yes, she is!'

Shikamaru dropped his head into his hands, sighing again. 'How troublesome…'

By midday the rain had stopped, and the sun was shining weakly on the village. Whistling cheerfully, Jiraiya strolled down the streets, pretending to be oblivious to the evil eyes he was getting from several women who saw past his cheery demeanor.

The frog hermit glanced casually into the shops and stalls he passed, seeing nothing untoward. Sighing, he rounded the corner – and came across the genin.

'Yo,' he greeted.

'Jiraiya-sama,' sakura said in surprise. 'I didn't know you were back in the village.'

At her ominous tone, Jiraiya lifted his hands. 'I've only been here since yesterday afternoon, Sakura.'

Sakura glared at him, but Jiraiya was already going on. 'Have any of you seen Naruto, by the way? He never showed for his training this morning. I thought he would be either with you or Tsunade.'

Shikamaru tensed. 'We saw Tsunade-sama about half an hour ago- she was also looking for him.'

Abruptly serious, Jiraiya said 'So no one has seen him all morning?'

Sakura shook her head. 'We thought he was sleeping late…' she began uncertainly.

'Lee, go and fetch Tsunade. Have her meet me at Naruto's apartment – and tell her to bring the ANBU with her. The rest of you, follow me.'

There was a bleak note in the Sannin's voice that made the air vibrate with tension.

Less than fifteen minutes later, Tsunade, Jiraiya, two ANBU members, and the rookies were standing in the corridor outside Naruto's apartment.

The first ANBU member placed a gloved hand against the door. 'This has been opened recently, and locked again. It doesn't appear to be forced. However, it has been opened since then.'

He twisted the handle and the door swung open silently, revealing the dim interior.

Silently, the ANBU members reached for their katanas, and entered the room.

'Wait here, you lot,' Tsunade ordered, walking in behind them and reaching for the light switch.

For a moment there was silence- and Jiraiya swore viciously. 'We're too late. Damn them to hell!'

Shaken by what he heard, Shikamaru moved towards the door, glancing inside. What he saw made his eyes widen in shock as the Fifth picked something off the floor, and turned around.

A broken Konoha hitae-ate.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Stormlight Rating: G Pairing / Characters: Word Count: 753 words Warnings: Not a one Summary: The aftermath of Naruto's kidnap A/N: Er… part two?

Half an hour later, ten dazed genin and one horrified chuunin were standing inside Naruto's apartment, staring blindly as the ANBU conducted their investigation. Hinata's shoulders shook with silent sobs, and Tsunade put her hands on the girl's slender shoulders. For once Tsunade made no attempt to reassure her; Shikamaru, looking at her, could see the shock in her eyes despite her attempts to hide it.

Sakura crossed the room cautiously, avoiding the ANBU who were now studying the footprints on the floor as she walked over to the wall. The handprint on the wall seemed surreal in the light; blackened, garish, a stain that seemed embedded in her mind.

'Who – who would do something like this? she asked, turning to face her friends, her Hokage. 'Unfortunately, Sakura, this isn't as uncommon as you might think,' Jiraiya said quietly. 'Shinobi are often kidnapped for their knowledge of certain jutsus, their intimate knowledge of their village, information on their team mates… and sometimes, just to cripple an already crippled village. With Konoha in the state it is now… we could be looking at several reasons why he's been taken.'

Shikamaru was piecing things together.  
'You knew,' he accused Jiraiya suddenly. 'You said you were too late – so you knew – '  
Shikamaru.' Tsunade stopped him mid tirade. 'For months we've suspected that another village might attempt something like this. the difference is, the ANBU had already marked out the jounin we believed would be targeted – Hatake Kakashi, Sarutobi Asuma, Maito Gai… in short, the jounin with the most knowledge of the village. For them to take a genin was something we didn't expect'  
Shikamaru's anger died. 'How long do you think he's been missing'  
The ANBU member spoke, her voice muffled by her mask. 'At least twelve hours have passed since he was taken. As no techniques were used in his capture, he will be that much harder to trace. I can only assume that Naruto-kun was marked from the beginning. There are very little signs of struggle'  
Jiraiya's shoulders slumped. 'Finding him will be even more difficult than I thought'  
Hinata spoke up for the first time since entering the apartment. 'We will be able to find, won't we? Tsunade-sama – we can find him, can't we?'

No one answered her question.  
None of them could.

Tsunade stared unseeingly out of the window while she waited for Shizune to gather together the people she had requested. Although her eyes rested on the village, her mind was on her first encounter with Naruto.

'…sannin? Her'  
'…who you are, if you insult the Fourth or the Third in front of me you deserve a punch in the face'  
'…problem! If I had three days I could master it'  
'because being Hokage is my dream…'

Tsunade drew her sleeve across her eyes. Crying was not going to solve anything. She had to focus, concentrate on finding him so that she would know he was safe…

Someone knocked at the door.  
Straightening, Tsunade called for them to enter, and watched silently as several people filed into her office.  
'You called for us, Tsunade-sama?' Iruka questioned.  
Tsunade stared at their faces, wondering how she was supposed to break the news to them when she hadn't even begun to believe it herself. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and said 'Naruto is missing'  
Kakashi frowned. 'Missing'  
'Aa. When no one could find him this morning, we checked his apartment. He's gone, Kakashi, and all we have left to prove that something happened is this.'

As she laid the hitae-ate out on the table before her, Iruka blanched. 'That – that '  
Asuma, who was closest, pushed the chuunin into a chair. His expression was bleak.  
'Kidnap'  
'It would seem so,' Tsunade said wearily. 'At this point we're looking at any number of villages – whoever took him used no jutsu's, so we can't trace them'  
Gai was the first one to question it. 'Kyuubi'  
'That too,' Tsunade said softly. 'I haven't told the genin… they're all dealing with their own guilt as it is, and besides'  
'It's Naruto's call to make,' Kakashi completed. 'Well, I'm off then. Iruka – come on. An extra set of eyes will be useful'  
Tsunade blinked. 'What'  
'That is why you called us, isn't it, Tsunade-sama?' Gai questioned. 'So we can search for any traces of him before it's too late'  
The weight on the Hokage's shoulders lifted slightly. 'Thank you,' she said gratefully.

Kakashi inclined his head gracefully, and lead the way out of her office. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Darkness falls

**Rating:** PG 13 to at least NC 17

**Pairing / Characters: **The Konoha ten, their sensei's, Uzumaki Naruto

**Word Count: **904 words

**Warnings: **See rating!!! Abuse, violence

**Summary: **A surprising twist in the tale, desperation on the part of Naruto's friends

**A/N: **Part three!! A word of warning to all readers: from here on, each chapter will carry warnings for abuse, violence and mistreatment. If this sort of thing bothers you, I wouldn't go any further. It only gets worse, so consider yourself warned!

'Here's what I propose,' Shikamaru told the genin as calmly as possible. 'We already know that he's… missing… and we know that the Fifth has gathered our sensei's to search the village for him. What we need to do is split into two groups and help them. Hinata, you, Kiba, Ino, Tenten, Lee and Sakura, the rest of us with Neji. If what we heard is true then we're running out of time.'

As the two groups split up, Shikamaru's mind raced, considering alliances both old and new, feuds between villages that Konohagakure had had to intervene in, various missions they had undertaken since the Fifth had been inaugurated…

It didn't make sense. Why a genin? he wondered. Why someone who has very little skills in the way of jutsu - or anything else for that matter - to contribute to the village? Unless… Shikamaru frowned as a thought occurred to him.

'Unless… the reason they went after Naruto was to get to us…'

'What?'

Shikamaru glanced at Neji. 'You heard Jiraiya-sama – there are many reasons why a shinobi would be taken from his village. Naruto has no parents, no clan secrets – so the only reason I can think of is because of us. Our teamwork… our missions… think about it, Neji, of anyone here, Naruto is the one person who has teamed up with every single genin at one stage or another. He knows exactly what we're capable of.'

Neji's expression darkened. 'So you're saying he was kidnapped so they could get information from him. Information on our tactics…our skills…'

Shikamaru nodded grimly. 'It's a possibility,' he agreed grimly.

Iruka watched Kakashi form several seals to summon his nin dogs.

As the smoke cleared, Pakkun lifted a paw. 'Yo.'

'This is an emergency, Pakkun,' Kakashi said tersely. 'Naruto was kidnapped, and we haven't the faintest idea where he is. You know his smell – search his apartment and the village and then report to me if you find anything. Take Iruka with you.'

Kakashi put his hand on Iruka's shoulder. 'We'll find him, Iruka.'

Iruka sighed. 'I know, Kakashi. It's just that-'

Kakashi's voice was sharp. 'Don't even think of that. The moment you do, you lose your focus. You can't afford to do that. None of us can.'

But as Iruka followed Pakkun, he couldn't help but pray that they wouldn't find a body. Naruto was alive. He had to be.

_His head ached. It hurt to breathe. In fact, his whole body hurt; even the slightest of movements sending pain shooting along his spine. Behind his eyelids he could make out flickering light, and it worried him. Wherever he was, it was dark. _

_He forced his eyes open, blinking to restore his blurry vision. When his new surroundings became clearer, he wanted to cry out, but the gag across his mouth prevented it. _

_A room. No bigger than his whole apartment, shrouded in darkness. The only source of light came from the torches evenly spaced along the walls. In the centre of the room, three – or was it four? – figures were standing, their low voices echoing in the stillness. In the dim light, he could see that they wore robes, but that was the only thing he could make out._

_As for himself… he was curled up on his side, hands bound behind his back, the chill around his wrists signifying chains. His shoeless feet were similarly bound, and the shorts and tee shirt he wore did little to ward off the cold. He tried to move his head – and gagged as something tightened around his throat._

_The bastards had chained him to the wall like an animal._

_The clinking of metal on metal alerted the figures, and one of them turned and with a swish of robes, walked towards him. _

'_The fox child is awake,' he said, malice dripping from his voice._

_Bewildered, Naruto watched as the man knelt down before him, the torchlight glinting on the hitae-ate he wore. _

_No. it was impossible. Totally, utterly without reason…_

_It was the pattern on the hitae-ate – distinctive, familiar… _

_Before Naruto could even begin to comprehend what his eyes were telling him, his captor lifted his hand, and pain, hot and swift, flooded him._

_Unable to scream, Naruto writhed in agony as his captor watched impassively._

Coincidentally, Shikamaru and the genin met up at the same location as their jounin sensei's. Iruka looked defeated, Gai frustrated, Asuma tired, Kakashi, bleaker than ever. For the first time, the sharingan eye was uncovered, and Shikamaru didn't like the expression he saw in those eyes.

'Asuma – '

'We have nothing,' Asuma admitted.

'According to Pakkun, Naruto's scent is all over the village, making it difficult to even find a direction he was taken in,' Kakashi continued.

Kiba nodded in agreement. 'Akamaru said the same thing. How are we supposed to find someone when we don't even know where he is?'

Hinata rubbed her eyes. 'I won't give up,' she said fiercely. 'I'll never give up.'

Kurenai materialized beside her. 'None of us will, Hinata.'

But a glance at her fellow jounin told her they were thinking along the same lines… they might already have been far too late.

Kurenai lifted her hand to her eyes, shielding them from the setting sun.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** Shadows

**Rating:** PG 13 – NC 17

**Pairing / Characters:** Uzumaki Naruto, Umino Iruka, Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Konohamaru

**Word Count: **1,133 words

**Warnings: **Abuse, torture, violence, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

**Summary: **The situation worsens, the despair begins to set in…

**A/N: **This is turning out to be one of the hardest things I've ever written. Naruto is one of my favourites and even the thought of this happening in the anime or manga makes me feel kinda sick… but I repeat my warning: things only get worse from here on…

Hinata stood alone in the shadows cast by the light of Ichiraku's ramen stand. In her mind's eye she could see Naruto sitting there, blue eyes sparkling with mischief as he ordered his second or third bowl of ramen, the way he held the chopsticks, the delight in his voice when his fellow genin would treat him to ramen as they sometimes did…

So real was the vision that Hinata stretched out her hand to touch it – but it dissipated at the sound of a voice.

'Hinata?'

Jumping in fright, Hinata turned around to see Kiba. His dark eyes were worried and at the sight, she said in a small, faltering voice 'I was just imagining… he'd be eating supper now and he … he would be laughing…'

Her voice broke. 'What if he hasn't eaten? What if he's alone…?'

'Hinata, stop it!' Kiba growled. He reached out to shake her shoulders but instead, hugged her, the sudden fury disappearing. Hadn't he been thinking the same thing, after all?

'It's ok,' he whispered. 'We'll find him and when we do, I'll beat the idiot into a bloody pulp for scaring us…'

Hinata forced down her tears. 'Kiba-kun –'

Kiba took a deep breath. 'Have some ramen with me.'

Hinata blinked. And nodded.

Together, the two walked towards the bright light of the food stall.

'Akatsuki. Orochimaru. Sasuke. Iwagakure. Missing nins.' Tsunade wearily repeated the pitifully small list.

Jiraiya sat across from her, for the first time that she could remember, looking older than his years. Much, much older.

'At this point we have to consider that the nine tails may have already been extracted from Naruto's body,' Jiraiya said slowly.

'Can we not think like that?' Tsunade asked. 'This is hard enough as it is…'

The frog hermit straightened.

'You're not the only one who cares about him, Tsunade. We all do. However, facts must be faced. If the nine tails is no longer sealed into Naruto's body, then Konohagakure is facing a threat far bigger than Orochimaru and the Uchiha boy. What will you do, _Hokage_? Will you sit and wring your hands or will you use the power that you have and find him? Konoha is a crippled nation, we all know that. You have the job of protecting it, and despite this, you have to do it. I know it's hard, damn it, but sitting here isn't going to get us anywhere. We can't afford to just sit here!'

At Jiraiya's outburst, Tsunade sat up, the fear in her eyes replaced with determination.

'Shizune,' she called.

The young woman straightened. 'H-Hai!'

'Bring Morino Ibiki here. I have an urgent reconnaissance mission for him.'

'Yes, Tsunade-sama!'

Shizune darted out the door, and Jiraiya felt a tired smile cross his face despite the tenseness of the situation, for the last time he had seen that expression on her face was moments before she had nearly killed him for peeping.

_The harsh, ragged breathing filled the silent room. It was the only sound in the darkness now, after the screaming had died away. The chains were the only thing keeping him up, the only thing supporting a body that was slowly being pushed to its limits. Naruto's panting held the edge of tears that he could barely suppress as his eyes focused on the kunai before him. _

_The kunai that had slashed across the skin of his face over and over only to watch it heal from within…_

_It was dark, always dark. Naruto had lost track of the time, lost track of how many days he had been in wherever it was they were keeping him. His stomach ached with hunger, and the only water to touch his dry lips was warm, salty tears. He hurt, so badly that he didn't know what to do._

_Naruto couldn't feel the chakra of the nine tails anymore. _

_He didn't know if it was due to the silver liquid that had been forced into him, or the jutsu that been used on him only hours before._

_A jutsu that caused him to bleed from every single pore before kyuubi's chakra had eventually provided blessed relief…_

_Faint fragments of their conversation had reached his ears, whispers of attempts to see how well Kyuubi's chakra healed him, just how much – or how little poison could be injected into his system before his body couldn't heal itself…_

_Through the pain, Naruto guessed that his captors wanted the chakra for themselves, wanted the demon for themselves._

'_I won't,' he whispered. 'I'll never let you have him, never…'_

'_Shut your mouth, animal,' the man hissed, dropping the kunai and forming several seals. The seal of the tiger…_

_Naruto's eyes widened in absolute horror, and he couldn't stop the instinctive whimper. 'No… please no… please…'_

_Once again, screams rang out in the darkness as flames briefly lit up the dank room._

Iruka lifted his head briefly from the pile of papers on his desk, watching with dulled brown eyes as his students filed from the room. Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon were among the last to leave, and Iruka's eyes narrowed slightly as Konohamaru urged his friends on before hesitantly approaching his table.

'Iruka-sensei…'

He knew, somehow, what Konohamaru was going to say before he said it.

'I heard a story… Naruto-nii-chan is missing…'

Iruka got up, and knelt down beside the boy. 'Where did you hear it, Konohamaru?'

His eyes lowered in embarrassment. 'Naruto-nii-chan's friends were talking about it yesterday,' he mumbled. 'I heard – I heard that he's been gone for nearly two days and no one can find him… Iruka-sensei, is it true? Is Naruto-nii-chan really – '

Iruka pulled the boy into a hug. 'I'm afraid so, Konohamaru. We're looking for him,' the chuunin said firmly, 'so I don't want you to worry, ok? We have the best shinobi out there right now, and they'll find him.'

Konohamaru pulled away slightly. 'Leaf shinobi are the best. They'll find him, Iruka-sensei, you said it. Right?'

Iruka forced a smile. 'Of course they will.'

But as Konohamaru hurried out of the classroom, Iruka's brave front crumbled. They were trying to spare him as much pain as possible, he knew, but early that morning, wanting to find out if Ibiki's mission had brought any results, he had heard the devastating news…

Not only had Iwagakure not been anywhere near Konoha in the last several months, but – his breath caught in his throat at the remembrance – Kiba and Akamaru had stumbled onto something late last night on their way home…

The goggles Naruto had worn for the first three years at the academy, the bright green plastic stained with blood.

The goggles that Iruka had secretly bought for him two days after his entrance to the academy so many years ago…


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** Midnight evils

**Rating:** PG 13

**Pairing / Characters: **Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, Rock Lee, Hyuuga Neji, Tsunade, Morino Ibiki

**Word Count: **1,443 words

**Warnings: **As always, abuse, torture, violence

**Summary: **A shocking twist in the tale, more horror and sadness for our hero

**A/N: **sob poor Naruto…

FOR EMERALDE… THANKS FOR THE COOKIES! (MORE PLEASE!)

midnight evils

_It hurt to breathe. Every breath Naruto took sent spasms of pain through his lungs as he fought to control the sobs. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that at least three of his ribs were broken. _

_He hung limply from the chains, too tired to even register the throbbing in his wrists. When breaking them had failed to elicit a reaction, they had not only broken his ribs, but at least two fingers. Naruto was alone now, but he didn't know how long it would last._

_It wasn't just the torture, not just the darkness. It was the malice in their voices whenever they addressed him, not by his name, but by 'animal'. _

_Naruto was beginning to wonder if that was all he was – an animal._

_They wouldn't let him sleep. Every time he began to drift off, they would brutally awaken him, either with icy water on his already frozen body, or a fist to the face or whatever it was that took their fancy. He had reached the stage where he was afraid to even close his eyes. At least then, when they were hitting him, he could forget how hungry he was… _

_The impulse to close his eyes, just for a moment was overwhelming, but as they slid shut, he heard the footsteps, painfully loud in the darkness. Naruto forced his eyes open, trying to straighten despite the way his muscles ached in protest. _

_The masked figure stopped a few feet away from him, cocking his head in silent contemplation._

_Naruto swallowed. This was new – apart from the abuse they screamed at him, not one of them had done this – just stood there, watching him. When the figure eventually did move, Naruto didn't recognize the seal sequence he activated, and consequently, was unprepared for the sudden glow of light that surrounded him. Blinking furiously to get his eyes to adjust, Naruto caught his breath, horror making its way through the numbness._

_Genjutsu. It had to be._

_He was standing in the kitchen of a house, where a slender young woman with long hair stood at the stove. She was humming under her breath, a cheerful little song that he was absolutely certain he'd heard before. A noise made her turn; Naruto froze when he saw her face. Big blue eyes, a small, mysterious smile… all directed at the two people who had entered the kitchen. The first, a man wearing standard shinobi issue, carrying a heavy bag, his dark eyes sparkling with pleasure, the other… a mirror image of Naruto himself…_

'_Naruto-chan! How was your mission?' the woman was asking, but Naruto could barely hear his double's answer through the sudden buzzing in his ears._

'…_what he told me!'_

_The man bent down, and put his arms around the double. 'I'm so proud of you, my son. You've done well, as always…'_

_His heart ached. The words he'd always, always longed to hear…_

'_Just for you, I'm making your favourite meal. Ramen!'_

_The light faded, and Naruto was left alone. Rubbing his stinging eyes, he tried to assimilate his new surroundings, and with a shock, recognized the place that he had unwillingly called home… the light was off, the windows broken and streaked with grime. All the possessions, the little things that he had so painstakingly collected, were either broken or covered in a layer of dust. The door opened, and two familiar figures walked in._

'_Its in terrible condition, as you can see,' Iruka-sensei was saying to the person beside him. 'A clean up is all it really needs, though.'_

'_What happened to the previous owner?' the other figure asked._

_Iruka-sensei sighed. 'Don't you remember him, Konohamaru? Uzumaki Naruto…it's been so long since he was last seen in the village.'_

_Konohamaru chuckled. 'I reall forgot about him, Iruka-sensei.'_

_Iruka-sensei put a hand on Konohamaru's shoulder. 'Well, it's been a long day. After your inauguration, the celebrations… it's understandable.'_

'_The Sixth… I still can't believe it!'_

_Their voices faded away, and Naruto fell to his knees in the dust, pain washing over him. His dreams… the one man who was more like a father to him than anyone else…_

'_Kai!'_

_Naruto sagged against the chains, the tears that he had worked to suppress falling freely. Of all the things they could have done to him, this was the worst, the absolute worst… trying to control his anguish, Naruto turned his thoughts to his friends._

_They were coming. He knew they were._

Sakura stretched out painfully beside Neji, wincing as the muscles in her legs protested.

'Ouch,' she groaned.

Neji wasn't in much better shape – the band tying his hair back had come loose, there were several nasty scrapes on his arm, and his silver eyes were dulled with exhaustion.

'I think,' he muttered, 'that this was one of the most tiring missions we've been on in a while.'

Displaying a singular lack of energy, Lee crouched down in front of them. 'At least we can get back home, find out if there's been any news…'

Sakura's throat tightened.

Life in Konoha had continued as normal – the sun still shone, people still went about their daily business, shinobi were still sent on missions – and Naruto was still missing. It had been three weeks to the day Kiba had found the goggles near the river, and since then, not a trace or a clue had been discovered by anyone. It was harder than Sakura thought possible to carry out missions she was assigned, harder than ever to keep on with her training, but she kept herself going with the thought that Naruto would have killed her himself if she gave up.

At least their missions gave them a chance to search for him outside of Fire Country...

Lee held out a hand to Sakura, and she took it gratefully as he pulled her to her feet. 'Thank you, Lee-san,' she said softly. 'Neji – are you hurt?'

Neji pulled himself up. 'No, I'm fine. We should start heading back.'

They moved slower than usual, the eagerness to see their families and friends after their week long mission dampened by thoughts of Naruto.

Neji frowned into the gathering darkness, activating his byakugan automatically. Even with it, he still couldn't find Naruto, and he thought he knew why.

'His eyes were better than mine, after all,' he whispered. 'Even in the daylight I can't find him.'

'Neji?'

He turned, deactivating the byakugan. 'What's wrong, Lee?'

'I was about to ask you the same thing,' Lee told him.

Neji smiled sadly. 'Many things, none of which I can change. It's all right, Lee.'

But it wasn't, not really. This time it was Naruto who lay in darkness, and Neji didn't know anyone who could find him.

'Tsunade-sama, my deepest apologies for disturbing you…'

'What's wrong? Ibiki?' Tsunade asked. 'You seem worried.'

Ibiki walked over to her desk. 'I have to ask if you've sent any of my ANBU members out lately.'

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. 'Lately? As in?'

'The last three or four weeks.'

A sudden suspicion made the Hokage straighten. 'Why?'

'Well, we wanted to interrogate prisoner 2657 earlier, and as we're short staffed, I thought they could do it because I can't see to it myself – but according to Hideo, neither of them have been seen since the beginning of the month. I know we're in a bad situation but surely you would have told me –'

Tsunade's eyes flashed. 'Who's missing?'

Ibiki frowned. 'Mori Isamu and Murai Sachiko,' he replied. 'Tsunade-sama-'

Tsuande cut him off abruptly. 'What division were they from?'

'Specialised interrogation – both have an unusually sharp knowledge of the human mind –'

Tsunade swore, shocking Ibiki deeply. When she lifted her head, rage burned in her eyes, but her voice was as calm as it was going to get. 'I have sent no ANBU member on a mission outside of this village in the last year.'

Ibiki looked shaken. 'Not a one – oh my god…'

'My words exactly,' Tsunade said shortly. 'I can hardly see this as being a co- incidence.'

Ibiki straightened. 'If I find them, I will send them to you once we are done with them.'

Saluting, the ANBU captain walked towards the door, but Tsunade's gentle voice stopped him.

'You won't find them, Ibiki.'

'I know that,' he said without turning. 'Perhaps I didn't make myself clear – once we are done with them, I will send their bodies to you for disposal. Konoha has no place for traitors.'

Tsunade watched him leave, and as the door slid shut, she gave in to her rage and threw her chair across the room.


	6. Chapter 6

**Title:** Fog and mist

**Rating:** PG 13

**Pairing / Characters: **Naruto, Tsunade, Kakashi, Sakura

**Word Count: **784 words

**Warnings: **Torture, violence

**Summary: **Naruto is still suffering, Kakashi finds out about Akatsuki and Sakura grieves

**A/N: **This chapter seems short. It is. It's sole purpose is to bridge the time gap between the previous chapter and the one that follows.

_He had forgotten his name, forgotten everything that had brought him to this moment, forgotten who he was and why he existed._

_An animal. A monster. _

_That's what they called him, and what they expected him to respond to. There was nothing for him to hold on to, nothing except the frail hope that he would be found – but he wondered if anyone would remember him, after all, he didn't even know who he was…_

_He could hear a voice inside his head, telling him that he was just a useless brat, unworthy of the power that had been given to him, a pathetic worm deserving of nothing but death and despair. His friends hated him, his comrades tolerated him, his family had abandoned him at birth, knowing what he truly was. Even the one person he looked up to more than anyone else was afraid of him, and only treated him with such kindness to keep himself alive._

'_Because of you,' the voice sneered, 'the whole village is in danger. All your friends, all your precious people… everyone you love could be killed at any moment and it's all your fault. How do you think they'll react when they find out what you are? A monster, a demon, evil… even the Hokage doesn't trust you. Why do you think she watches you wherever you go? You'd be better off dead… better off not seeing the inevitable disgust on their faces when they find out – and they will find out, you know that… the heir to the Hyuuga clan… Hinata… do you really want to hurt her like that? Her perfect Naruto-kun reduced to nothing but a nightmare…'_

_Tears, unbidden, streaked his cheeks. It was true – it was all true – they hated him even when he protected them from themselves. He was just a mistake to them, nothing more._

'_Look at you,' the voice mocked, 'you can't even mold chakra. Stupid boy – you let yourself get into this situation because of your own idiocy. If you had only been smarter – wasn't that what Jiraiya told you when he taught you the rasengan? So that even a dumb kid like you could learn it… pathetic… absolutely pathetic… they should have just left you to die and now you're suffering from your own mistakes!'_

_His scream echoed in the darkness. 'No! No…'_

'You have got to be joking,' Kakashi growled.

Tsunade eyed him warily. Since Naruto's disappearance, his already legendary temper had surfaced, and as it was, she was treading on eggshells by just telling him about the missing ANBU members.

'I'm afraid not, Kakashi. Neither of them have bee seen since Naruto went missing, and I believe that they're responsible for his disappearance.'

Kakashi's fists clenched. 'Are they working with Akatsuki?'

'I don't know that,' Tsunade told him. 'It's possible, of course.'

Kakashi bowed briefly. 'Excuse me.'

Tsunade inclined her head and watched him go, slamming the door behind him. She understood how he felt, but couldn't hide her wince at the noise – what sounded like a fist being slammed into a wall.

'Jiraiya, keep an eye on him, please,' she ordered softly. 'I've heard of his temper before.'

'Gotcha.' Jiraiya was gone before Tsunade could comment.

'Are you all right, Tsunade-sama?' Shizune asked anxiously.

'Should I be?' Tsunade wanted to know. 'You tell me, Shizune, should I be?'

Shizune bit her lip. 'My apologies, Tsunade-sama,' she whispered.

Tsunade rubbed her eyes. 'I just want him found, Shizune. We all do.'

Iruka locked the door, glancing around to make sure he wasn't being followed. It wasn't the first time he had done this, and he was reasonably certain that the Fifth knew, but even so, he was still very careful as he snuck out of the village. He didn't want to risk being caught and losing the chance to find Naruto, wherever he was.

Hours earlier, he'd heard the news from Kakashi- that they had been betrayed by two ANBU members, and Iruka allowed this to fuel his anger. Naruto was alive, and he was going to find him, no matter what the cost.

Sakura stood alone in Naruto's empty apartment, trying to picture him there, sitting at the table, eating, standing at the window, watching the stars, training, resting in preparation for a mission.

She could see his cheeky grin as he teased her, the anger in his eyes when his friends were in danger, the determination when he promised her that he would keep his promises…

Reaching out, she picked up the photo of Team 7, tracing a finger over Naruto's sulky expression.

'I miss you,' she whispered. A silent tear streaked down her cheek and splattered against the glass.


	7. Chapter 7

**Title:** Silver linings

**Rating:** PG 13

**Pairing / Characters: **Tsunade, the Konoha ten, Naruto

**Word Count: **988 words

**Warnings: **As always

**Summary: **A clue to Naruto's location is discovered

**A/N: **Yeah, I know. At last…

Tsunade leaned her head against the glass wearily, watching as her genin gathered near the pond just before her mansion. Shikamaru and Chouji were there already, waiting, and she felt something in her heart ache at their defeated postures. Shikamaru was leaning against Chouji, his eyes closed, and Tsunade wondered just how much sleep he had gotten in the last month and a half. How much any of them had gotten…

Between training and missions, every spare moment of their time was taken up in looking for their comrade. It wasn't just them either – although she refused to bring it up, she was well aware that both Kakashi and Iruka had been periodically leaving the village to locate Naruto's whereabouts.

The Hokage scowled suddenly. Since her conversation with Ibiki, the ANBU had been on full alert for their missing members, whom she now believed were directly related to Naruto's disappearance.

Clenching a fist, she wondered how she could have been blind enough not to notice that Konoha had been betrayed by two of the people who had sworn to protect her… although, in a twisted way, it made sense – every ANBU member was aware that the nine tails was sealed into Naruto – that someone other than Akatsuki would try to gain that power was inevitable.

'Hold on, Naruto,' she whispered. 'Don't give up just yet…'

Hinata leaned her head against Neji's shoulder, feeling his arm tighten around her briefly. In another situation, she would have been flustered by the idea of even talking to her cousin, but it seemed that in the wake of Naruto's disappearance, Neji had somehow, somehow, lost his aloofness towards her. Hinata didn't understand it, but they had all become closer. Even Shino-kun had stopped keeping his distance and started communicating with his friends.

'…Excuse me…'

Hinata lifted her head, startled at the unfamiliar voice.

Shikamaru got to his feet immediately, turning to face the two people standing awkwardly by the pond.

'Can we help you, O'san, Baa-chan?' he asked politely.

The old woman bowed respectfully. 'My son and I are travelers from Bear Country. We have been on the road for some time now, but as we neared Konoha, we were forced to take a different route as the rain had washed out the path.' The woman hesitated. 'Forgive me if my tale is long-winded, child, but I feel I must explain to you why we are here.'

Shikamaru inclined his head. 'Go on, please.'

'Very well. We took the Shepard's Path, you are familiar with it? It was there that we found this.'

She gestured to her son, who reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace – a slender green stone on a black thong.

'This is a very valuable stone, one I recognize from my childhood. As it is in Fire territory, I thought it might belong to one of your elders.'

She held out the necklace, and as Shikamaru was about to take it, Sakura jumped to her feet.

'Baa-chan, forgive me my impudence – if I gave you a map, could you show me exactly where you found that necklace?'

Shikamaru frowned. 'Sakura, what – '

Sakura glanced up at him through eyes swimming with tears. 'That necklace… it doesn't just belong to anyone, Shikamaru. It – it's Naruto's… I saw it once, and I asked him where he got it – he wouldn't tell me, but he said – he said it was more valuable to him than his own life…'

Shikamaru blinked. 'Naruto…'

The old woman pulled out a worn map. 'We found the necklace here, child,' she said, pointing to a location on the map with a gnarled finger.

'At least six hours away,' Neji murmured. 'If we hurry…'

Sakura bowed to the old woman. 'We'll see to it that the necklace is given to the right person.'

As the two wandered off, Shikamaru said 'we don't have any time to waste. If we leave now, we should get there by – '

'Sunset,' Lee answered, suddenly energized. 'Perhaps even earlier if we really move – '

Tenten slapped his arm. 'Always rushing…'

'He's right,' Shino remarked. 'The faster the better. This is how it is in an emergency.'

Uncharacteristically assertive, Hinata said 'let's go already! Naruto-kun needs us –'

At Kiba's incredulous expression, Hinata flushed. 'It's true,' she mumbled.

'Cut it out,' Shikamaru ordered. 'Let's move.'

_He was alone. He wondered if they were around, just waiting for him to fall asleep so they could wake him up again, or if they had just tired of hurting him._

_He prayed it was the latter. So cold… so hungry… so tired… but he didn't close his eyes. He didn't dare. It was already deeply ingrained – fall asleep and that's when they'll hurt you worse than before…_

'_I could just give up,' he whispered to the empty room. 'I could just close my eyes and never wake up again and they'll never hurt me again..'_

_He shifted his position, trying to find a way to lie so that the chains didn't cut into his sore skin. His eyes were swollen half shut, partly from sheer exhaustion and partly from the fist that had been ground into his cheek only hours earlier. Something was wrong with him, he knew it._

_That silver liquid they kept making him drink… it was making him sick. He kept throwing up, even though there was nothing in his stomach. It hurt him – every time he moved, the chain around his neck would tighten, choking him. _

_And it was so, so, cold…_

_But even so, he couldn't give up. Whenever the thought crossed his mind, words, half remembered, came to mind._

'…_until I become Hokage, I will never die…'_

_His friends were coming for him. He knew they were. Despite the bleakness of his situation, he felt a glimmer of hope._

_Maybe, just maybe, one of them would remember his name and be able to tell him…_


	8. Chapter 8

**Title:** Sunlight and starshine

**Rating:** PG 13 to be safe

**Pairing / Characters: **

**Word Count: **1, 242 words

**Warnings: **Just some serious injuries, not as bad as previous chapters

**Summary: **Naruto is found!

**A/N: **At last. Gomen'nasai to everyone I've kept waiting for this moment… more to follow.

Shikamaru's mind raced as they flew through the trees.

A clue was a clue, no matter how slim. If they found him, there was the uncertainty of how many enemies there were, their unknown skills and unknown terrain. As familiar as he was with the terrain of the Fire Country, there were still others who were even more so. The conversation between Kakashi and the Fifth also rested heavily on his mind.

ANBU members were involved…

He hadn't told the others, hadn't known how to tell them they had been betrayed. He suspected that Sakura knew, but even so, Shikamaru wasn't sure that they could defeat them. Numbers were on their side, true, but what genin stood a chance against Konoha's elite?

As they neared the site where the necklace had been found, Shikamaru called a halt.

'Everyone listen up,' he said quietly. 'There's something you need to know.'

He explained what he had heard, and watched the reactions on the faces of his friends – from disgust, to shock, to horror.

'I knew it,' Sakura gasped. 'Kakashi-sensei hasn't been himself lately, and I just knew something like this would happen!'

'Betrayed,' Lee murmured. 'I would never have expected it.'

'None of us did. That's why we need to do this carefully. This is what I want…'

As he had done every evening for the past month and a half, Iruka knelt down before the shrine, clasping his hands together, and praying. Silently, he beseeched the gods to bring Naruto back to them, to watch over him and keep him safe, to give him another chance to look after the boy and protect him.

Iruka blamed himself for Naruto's disappearance, blaming it on his ineptitude in looking after him, the fact that he was sometimes too busy to see to the needs of someone in need of attention, love, affection…

Another presence at the shrine startled him into lifting his head. He blinked to see Ebisu laying flowers at the base of the shrine.

'Ebisu?'

The tutor turned, offering Iruka a faint smile. 'Offering my own prayers, Iruka. That child taught me more about myself in the short time I trained him than any experience in battle ever did. I hope they find him soon.'

Iruka stood, brushing down his pants absently. 'So do I, Ebisu. Naruto's strength doesn't just lie in fighting. He changes lives, changes people. If nothing else, Konoha needs him.'

Ebisu put an arm around Iruka's shoulders. 'Let me buy you a drink.'

_Noise – scuffling, shouting, dull thuds – echoed distantly in the silence. He paid no attention to it, forcing himself to lie still, to stay awake with every fibre of his being. _

_They had done something to him, a jutsu that had caused the most agonizing pain he had ever felt. It felt as though every organ, every single muscle inside his body, was torn. There was no bleeding, at least not outwardly, but if he turned his head just so, he could see a thick welt on his arm that in the last hour had gone from blue to dark brown. He didn't know much about the body, but he was certain that it meant something was wrong. His arm around the welt ached, and he was beginning to feel sluggish. _

_He was going to die._

_He knew enough to know it, that they had purposely left him alone to die, that they were just waiting for it, even though he didn't know what they planned to do with his body._

_Strangely enough, the thought left him feeling a little sad. He was going to die alone, in the dark, without a name, without a life, an animal who was hated, feared. He was going to die friendless, with no one to mourn his passing, and no one to remember him when he was gone._

_It was nothing less than he deserved, and he took a deep shuddering breath, holding back the tears that were so close to the surface._

_If he was going to die, he wanted to die with some semblance of dignity._

Neji ducked under a blow, grinning humourlessly. 'Too late. You are within the range of my divination. Hakke!'

The faceless figure dropped to the floor, twitching soundlessly, and Neji tutted. 'Idiot. As an ANBU member, you should know the Hyuuga clan's specialty.'

'Neji!' Kiba shouted. 'Behind you!'

Neji twisted backwards, out of the range of the kunai that embedded itself firmly in the wall behind him as Lee swung into a kick at his attacker's head.

Next to him, Sakura aimed a punch at the third attacker, missing his cheek and slamming her fist against the wall. Immediately, cracks radiated outward from the point of impact, and the wall collapsed. Her scream of fury actually made Shikamaru flinch even as he pinned her opponent in place with his kage mane.

'Shannaro!'

Minutes later, it was all over. Four people lay bound and gagged in the centre of the room, and Shino, Tenten and Lee stood over them.

'Find Naruto,' Ino said anxiously. 'Hurry…'

Without hesitation, the remainder of them fanned out through the cabin, searching every room. Each made the same discovery – the rooms were empty.

When they met up again, Sakura was near tears. 'Nothing,' she said, a sob in her voice. 'He's not here.'

Neji's silver eyes widened suddenly. 'Hinata-sama – '

Hinata's own eyes widened. 'Of course,' she said, moving to stand back to back with him. As one, the two activated their bloodline limits.

'Byakugan!'

Hinata saw it seconds before Neji did. 'There! A trapdoor outside – there's someone in there – '

_He stiffened when he heard the footsteps. They were coming back… in panic, he tried to make himself smaller, hunching against the wall, curling up as far as the chains would allow him. He could feel the fear rising up in him, feel himself shaking as he heard the voices accompanying the footsteps._

'_Not again,' he whimpered. 'Not again…'_

Chouji's breath frosted in the cold. Automatically rubbing his arms, he voiced the thought on his mind. 'How could they keep someone in here? It's so cold…'

Kiba's voice was bleak. 'Maybe that's the point,' he said grimly.

His eyes had adjusted to the darkness faster than the others, and he was already moving forward through the narrow passageway. Near the end, he stopped and turned. 'Oi, Shikamaru – naruto's scent is all over the place but –'

'But what?' Shikamaru asked, moving toward him.

'Blood,' Kiba replied. 'Most of it's fresh…'

Light flared from behind them, and Ino handed Shikamaru a torch. Taking a deep breath, the seven of them walked into what was previously a storage cellar. The scene that met their eyes was seared into their minds.

Naruto lay against one wall, thick chains around his wrists, legs and neck keeping him in place. He was trying to make himself less of a target, hunched over against the weight of the chains. He was thinner, far thinner than any of them could have imagined, eyes swollen, the shirt and shorts dirty and splattered with blood. His bright hair was matted with dirt and blood, and was longer than normal. Even from the distance they stood, the welts, cuts and bruises on his exposed skin were clearly visible.

His heartbreaking whimpers of distress brought Hinata out of her horrified trance, and she ran forward, not needing the light to see where she was going.

'Naruto-kun!'


	9. Chapter 9

**Title:** Of light and darkness

**Rating:** G

**Pairing / Characters: **The Konoha ten, Naruto

**Word Count: **1, 082 words

**Warnings: **Bah, nothing

**Summary: **Naruto is freed and healed, the genin return to Konoha

**A/N: **Damnit, this took long to write, but I think it was worth it in the end. Poor Naruto…

Hinata fell to her knees beside him, and his head jerked up. 'I didn't sleep,' he whispered, his voice hoarse. 'I didn't sleep…'

Hinata's voice shook. 'It's alright, Naruto-kun. We've – we've come to get you…'

At the mention of his name, Naruto's tried to focus on her face.

'Is that my name?' he got out with difficulty. 'Is that who I am? They – they said I was an - an animal…'

It was clear to Hinata that he didn't recognize her in the slightest, but the shame in his voice spoke for itself. She touched his shoulder, shocked to feel how cold he was, and somehow, unsurprised when he flinched away from her touch.

'No, please –'

Tears spilt down her cheeks. 'I'm not going to hurt you, Naruto-kun, it's ok…'

The desperate note in her voice gave life to Sakura's limbs, and she flew across the dark room.

'Hinata-san, please cover his head.'

Without hesitation, Hinata gathered Naruto into her arms, bending over him. At her touch, Naruto stiffened, and oblivious to everything around her save for him, Hinata ran her hand over his hair, trying to reassure him that he was safe.

Sakura made sure that she had a firm grip on the chains, and with a strength born of sheer fury, simply yanked the chains from the wall. Dropping to her knees, she began to loosen them, but her hands shook so badly that the chains kept slipping out of her grasp. Cursing her clumsiness, Sakura forced herself to concentrate, consequently getting a fright when Shikamaru put his hands over hers.

'Let me.'

Sakura moved away, noting almost blankly that Neji had taken her place, that between them Kiba and Hinata had already undone the chain around his neck. Kiba was swearing furiously, and in another situation Sakura might have found it funny that Hinata was muttering the same things under her breath.

Kiba shrugged out of his jacket as Ino worked the last of the chains free, and it took Chouji, Neji and Shikamaru to lift his unresponsive body enough for Hinata to wrap the jacket around him.

The pain Hinata felt at seeing how the jacket was too big for his gaunt frame was almost physical.

'We need to get him upstairs so I can examine him,' Sakura said worriedly, and watched as he was lifted carefully.

Both Ino and Hinata were in tears as they left the cellar, but Sakura couldn't cry. She didn't dare.

Ino held the door of the cabin open, allowing Chouji and Shikamaru to enter.

'Did you find – oh my god –'

Lee cut himself off abruptly as the two of them gently laid Naruto on the floor.

In the light, the true extent of his injuries were clear.

Sakura opened Kiba's jacket, and pressed a palm against his chest, feeling the slight catch with every breath he took. Running a finger across his ribs soon made the reason clear – at least three of his ribs were broken. That wasn't all – it seemed that at some stage during his captivity, his wrists had been broken more than once, and the badly healing fingers of his right hand told their own story.

Naruto's skin was peppered with cuts and bruises, abrasions from the chains, and several burn marks that she wasn't sure she wanted to know about.

The worst of the damage however, was internal.

Sakura turned his arm cautiously, studying the dark brown welt that signaled internal bleeding.

'A jutsu?' she wondered aloud. 'Did they hit him with something?'

'Sakura-san?'

Sakura didn't look up. 'He's bleeding internally. I can heal it, but –'

'But what? What's wrong?'

Sakura's lips twisted at the irony of the question. 'I think he's been injured by a jutsu – his internal organs are badly damaged, and some of the muscles have been torn, which is a danger in itself. If left alone, he would have died in less than an hour, but there's something else wrong with him, something that's making him sick. He's not drawing chakra at all.'

Neji knelt down opposite her. 'May I?'

Sakura nodded. 'Please.'

Several quick seals, and Neji activated his byakugan, his eyes sweeping over Naruto.

'Impossible!' he gasped. 'His chakra network has been poisoned, but whatever they used has only affected his chakra and nothing else. I've never heard of this, never.'

'They're ANBU,' Shikamaru offered bleakly. 'In a way it makes sense that they could do something like that.'

'Bastards,' Shino muttered, and his team mates regarded him in shock. It was the first time any of them had actually heard him swear.

'I need a container,' Sakura said firmly 'preferably one with a lid.'

'What are you going to do?' Ino asked apprehensively.

'I have to remove the poison from his system, and I need something to store it in until we get back to Konoha.'

'Will this do?' Kiba asked, holding up a flask.

'Perfectly.'

Kiba unscrewed the lid, sniffed the contents, and indifferently poured whatever was inside on the prisoner nearest him before handing the flask to Sakura.

Sakura put a hand on his chest, her other hand poised above, drawing a viscous silver liquid from his system. Judging by the amount she was drawing, it was evident that they had been poisoning him over a lengthy period of time. It took sometime, but eventually Sakura had drawn everything out and sealed it in the flask.

Only then did she start healing the damage that had been done to him, and what felt like hours later, Sakura unsteadily got to her feet, and Kiba, who was closest, caught her as her knees buckled.

'That took more than I thought,' Sakura gasped.

'Oi, are you all right?' Shikamaru demanded.

Sakura waved him off. 'I'm fine, Shikamaru. Just… tired.'

Shikamaru sighed. 'This is a troublesome situation. Can we move him now?'

'Yes,' Sakura said, 'but carefully. No sudden jolts or bumps, and I need him to be kept as warm as possible.'

Lee didn't hesitate. 'I'll take him.'

'What about _them_?' Tenten asked, barely hidden disgust in her voice.

'We'll have to take them with us,' Shikamaru told her. 'Tsunade-sama will want to question them.'

With little fanfare, Shikamaru grabbed one of them, and threw him over his shoulder. 'Move and I'll plant a kunai in your back,' he warned the ANBU member.

Shino took hold of another one, and using his partial multisize technique, Chouji grabbed the last two.

'Let's get out of here,' he said shortly.

No one argued with him.


	10. Chapter 10

**Title:** Silvered skies

**Rating:** G

**Pairing / Characters: **Tsunade, Izumo and Kotetsu, Shikamaru, the genin, Iruka and Kakashi

**Word Count: **1, 510 words

**Warnings: **Nothing

**Summary: **Naruto finally lies safe in Konoha, his friends are prepared for eventualities about his condition

**A/N: **Wow, did this thing ever get out of my control. I'll be so relieved when it's all over…

'What do you mean they left?' Tsunade demanded.

Izumo cringed. 'Hokage-sama – they've only been gone for about five hours. It seemed urgent…'

Tsunade glared at him. 'And neither of you thought to ask where they were going?'

Kotetsu sighed. 'It's not like they stopped when we called them, Tsunade-sama.'

'Argh!' Tsunade scrubbed her hands through her hair. 'What is it with the stupid, stubborn shinobi of this village? Never in my life…'

She grabbed Izumo by the shirt. 'When they get back, you tell them I want to see them, you hear me?'

Izumo nodded. 'Yes, Hokage-sama, of course, Hokage-sama – '

Tsunade let go of his shirt, and stomped off, and both Kotetsu and Izumo sighed.

'If she wasn't on our side I would be terrified of her,' Izumo muttered.

Kotetsu punched him. 'Idiot, you are afraid of her.'

Izumo glared at him. 'You don't have to say it aloud,' he said indignantly.

The next hour passed relatively peacefully for the two gate guards, until out of the steadily growing shadows, they were able to make out several figures.

Izumo got to his feet casually, one hand reaching for a kunai. Beside him Kotetsu remained slumped against the pillar, although Izumo could sense him slowly molding chakra.

It was only when the first of the figures passed into the light that they relaxed, recognizing the distinctive figure of Gai's student.

Kotetsu opened his mouth to demand where they had been, but whatever he had been about to say was lost as his eyes fell on the person Lee was carrying, a figure with bright hair who lay still against his shoulder.

A genin who hadn't been seen in Konoha for two months…

'Naruto?' Izumo said incredulously. 'How – where –'

'Long story,' Shikamaru told his fellow chuunins. 'Listen – can you take care of these four so we can get Naruto to the hospital? Two of them are ANBU so watch them like hawks.'

'Leave them with us,' Kotetsu told him. 'You get him to the hospital – and alert Hokage-sama – she's been looking for you.'

Shikamaru raised a hand in acknowledgement, before walking off.

'I don't believe it,' Izumo muttered. 'Just when I was starting to think he was never going to be found…'

Tsunade and Shizune both glanced up at the knock.

'Enter,' Tsunade called, leaning her elbows on the table as the door swung open.

'Sakura? Where have you all been?' Tsunade asked, any irritation she still felt disappearing at the sight of Sakura's tear streaked face.

In answer, Sakura held something out, and Tsunade felt the strength leave her limbs.

'Where – where did you get that?' she asked weakly, hearing Shizune's audible gasp.

'Two peddlers brought it to us this afternoon, Tsunade-sama,' Sakura told her. 'I know its Naruto's – I saw him wearing it.'

Tsunade wasn't aware of the emotions on her face until Sakura said urgently 'Tsunade-sama – its ok, we found him –'

That alone brought Tsunade out of her stupor. 'You found him?' she repeated.

Sakura nodded. 'We took him straight to the hospital but I knew you'd want to see him first…'

Tsunade was shaking, trying to stop the uncontrollable tremors as she stared first at the necklace and then at her student.

He was safe…

She was unaware of getting to her feet, or of the ten minutes it took to get to the hospital. All she managed to take in through the haze of tears was the expressions on the faces of Naruto's team mates where they sat gathered outside the hospital room, and then the figure in the bed…

The tears she had worked so hard to suppress streaked her cheeks as she took in how thin he was. His expression was peaceful, but the harsh lighting did little to hide the dark circles under his eyes, or the way the skin was stretched over his cheekbones. She knew it would be many weeks before he was whole again, at least physically. Sakura hadn't said anything, but something in her eyes – in all their eyes – told her that he had been through more than just physical torture. Tsunade wiped her eyes furiously, and went outside to talk to Shikamaru and the genin.

'He's sleeping peacefully,' she told them. 'I'd estimate that he'll probably sleep for another three or four days – perhaps longer.' Tsunade was silent for a moment.

'Does someone want to tell me about it?'

Shikamaru was the first to look away. 'I'd rather not.'

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. None of them were looking at her now, and she studied each of them in turn, her concern rising. Lee's natural exuberance was missing. Neji's silver eyes were dark with remembered horror. Both Sakura and Ino were crying. Tenten, who never cried, was twisting a kunai in her fingers, not even noticing when she cut herself. Hinata, usually so shy, refused to look at anyone.

Tsunade leaned forward. 'Nothing? Then let me say this. I don't know what you saw, or what they did to him. For the ten of you, to step into whatever hell they created took more courage than many people twice your age could show, and you've reinforced my belief in you. However…'

Sakura glanced at her. 'What, Tsunade-sama?'

Tsunade took a deep breath. 'I'm sure I don't need to tell you that whatever Naruto has been through will most likely have affected his mind. I've seen many shinobi rescued from similar situations, and even though their torture was not as prolonged as his was, their minds were so damaged they were unable to be healed. The reason I'm telling you this is because I want you to be prepared for the fact that Naruto might never be able to resume his path as a shinobi.'

A horrified silence greeted her words.

'Never?' Kiba asked in shock. 'But – '

The Hokage's voice was gentle. 'Kiba, I've been a medic nin for many years, and a shinobi for many more. I've seen adult shinobi, jounins, ANBU members… some of whom were only taken for days, some for mere hours, but they all had one thing in common – their minds and bodies were so damaged they were unable to even be around other people. One such person I knew personally.'

'What – what happened?'

'He was kidnapped by a rival village in the hopes that he would have been able to provide them with information about Konoha and her practices. He was missing for four days before his team found him. When they brought him back, he wasn't even able to string two sentences together.'

Sakura couldn't take her eyes off her teacher. 'Tsunade-sama…'

Tsunade continued tiredly. 'Less than two days later, I found him hanging from the window frame.'

The group stared at her, their expressions appalled.

'Tsunade-sama, you're not suggesting that Naruto – that he – '

'No, Chouji, I'm not. These last two months have been hard for all of us, but it will be nothing compared to what lies ahead. Naruto will need all your help if he's to recover from his ordeal.'

At that Hinata straightened, a determined expression on her face, the same resolution Tsunade saw in Sakura's eyes, in Kiba's clenched fists.

Truly, the will of the Leaf was never more so alive in these children.

Kakashi and Iruka walked into the foyer of the hospital where they could see Tsunade waiting for them. Since receiving the summons, both had experienced a curious mixture of hope, crippling fear, and bewilderment. The fact that Tsunade's face was tear stained didn't help matters much either, or her snappish tone when she addressed them.

'You took your time in getting here!'

Iruka blinked. 'Our apologies, Tsunade-sama –'

'Oh, never mind. Come with me.'

As he followed her, Iruka didn't dare allow himself to feel any hope. Didn't dare because he knew how easy it was for that hope to be crushed. He started when Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder in silent reassurance.

Tsunade stopped abruptly before a half closed door and gestured for them to enter. The room was in darkness, save for a lamp burning on the bedside table, light reflecting on the bright hair across the pillow.

Iruka's eyes widened. 'N-Naruto –'

He stumbled over to the bed, falling to his knees and staring into Naruto's face.

'How is this possible – I never thought – never dreamed – just prayed –'

Kakashi remained where he was, frozen. Tsunade put her hand on his arm, sensing the emotions he was feeling.

'He was found this evening,' Tsunade told him. 'I wasn't told all the details, but from what I can gather, he was in very bad shape when they found him.'

Kakashi found his voice. 'Who found him?'

Tsunade smiled. 'Shikamaru and the genin. Oh, Kakashi… they truly are shinobi of the leaf…'

Kakashi moved over to the foot of the bed, and stared silently into Naruto's face.

'He's safe,' he said at last. 'Whatever he's been through – all that matters is that he's here now.'

On the bed Naruto stirred restively, but did not wake.


	11. Chapter 11

**Title:** In the rising of the sun

**Rating:** G

**Pairing / Characters: **Uzumaki Naruto, Umino Iruka, Tsunade, Gai and Kakashi

**Word Count: **956 words

**Warnings: **Nothing

**Summary: **Naruto begins to recover from his ordeal, Kakashi takes things hard

**A/N: **sad face poor Naruto-chan…

He was warm.

He lay still, registering the softness underneath him, unable to believe what his body was telling him. It was an illusion and when he opened his eyes nothing would have changed…

Almost regretfully, Naruto opened his eyes, blinking to clear them. The first thing that swam into view was the ceiling, patterns of light and shadow thrown onto the surface from the window. Naruto turned his head to take in the rest of the room, and the slender figure at the window.

'Iruka-sensei?' he whispered, voice hoarse from disuse.

The figure turned, a gentle expression on his face. 'Naruto. I thought you would still be sleeping.'

Naruto stared up at his former teacher, a cold lump slipping into the pit of his stomach.

'This is an illusion, isn't it? You're not real – none of this is – '

Iruka sat down on the edge of the bed. 'Naruto, it's all right,' he said swiftly. 'You're home, you're safe. This is all real.'

'Real? Are you sure?'

Iruka ruffled his hair gently. 'Yes, I'm sure – and you are not an animal, Uzumaki Naruto.'

Naruto struggled to sit up, and Iruka slid an arm around his shoulders. 'Easy, don't overdo it.'

'How did you know that?' Naruto demanded. 'How did you know that?'

'You've been asleep for the last three days, Naruto. You've had some truly terrible nightmares. Don't look so surprised, I haven't left you alone since the first night.'

Naruto swallowed past the lump in his throat. 'Iruka-sensei, they – they said things… that I was an animal, that I was a stupid boy, that I was a nightmare, that you were afraid of me… that – that I deserved to die, that I should have been left to die…'

The words spilt out of him, and Iruka was frozen in sheer horror as Naruto told him the details of his ordeal. A part of him didn't want to hear it, but the rest of him absorbed every word, every emotion, and wanted to tear apart the ones who had done this to him.

Naruto's words eventually trailed off, and he broke down, tears spilling down his cheeks. Cursing under his breath, Iruka pulled him into a hug, and Naruto slid his arms around Iruka's waist, burying his head in the older man's chest as he cried. Neither of them saw Tsunade glancing into the room before sliding the door shut noiselessly.

It was a while before Naruto eventually managed to swallow down the tears and when he did, he asked the one question that he hoped Iruka could answer.

'Who found me?'

Iruka smiled then. 'Your friends did, Naruto. They never stopped looking for you, never stopped searching for a clue to your whereabouts. Every day, between missions… and they weren't the only ones looking for you either. From Kakashi to the other jounin senseis to certain ANBU captains… even I snuck out of the village whenever I could to look for you.'

Naruto looked awed. 'I thought that maybe… maybe they would have given up…'

Iruka chucked him under the chin. 'Stupid child,' he said gently. 'Not a single person in this village gave up on you or forgot about you. You are so loved, Naruto.'

Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but a yawn cut his words off. Iruka laughed. 'Go to sleep, brat. I'll be right outside if you need anything.'

Naruto lay back down, and Iruka fussed over him, pulling the blankets straight, making sure he was tucked in.

'I'll be right outside,' he repeated, and Naruto nodded, his eyes already sliding shut.

Tsunade couldn't keep her impassive expression for long as Iruka related to her what Naruto had told him. Her anger grew until she was afraid that she was going to explode, and the expressions on the faces of her jounins told her that they were feeling the same rage.

'He's sleeping now,' Iruka concluded, but the nightmares have been pretty much the same – being kept in the dark, being called an animal, being hurt over and over.'

'I'll kill them,' Gai growled, his tone dangerous. 'I'll rip them to pieces –'

'No, you won't.' Tsunade told him firmly. 'That's my job, and one I intend to carry out to the best of my abilities. However, to be on the safe side, I would like someone with him at all times. Not just for his safety, but in case he needs to talk.'

Kakashi straightened from where he had been leaning against the wall. 'I'm off then,' he told them, and walked out, one hand lifted in a careless wave.

'He's taking this hard,' Tsunade murmured. 'Not only was it his student but former ANBU team members who assisted in his torture. Keep an eye on him for me, all of you. I'm afraid he really might kill them.'

'Before you've had a chance to, you mean?' Jiraiya asked with a raised eyebrow.

Tsunade glared at him. 'I don't really want to kill them, just damage them. A lot.'

Jiraiya chuckled, and disappeared out of the window.

'…day.'

'Really?' Kakashi stared down into the grounds, his eyes on ten figures slumped, sprawled, or curled up under the tree.

'They must be exhausted.'

The nurse shrugged her slender shoulders. 'I've tried everything, from offering them beds to sleep in, food or drink, sending them home, threatening to send for Hokage-sama – but no, all they did was pace the corridor outside his room before going outside for some fresh air. They'll probably be back soon.'

Kakashi smiled, although the nurse couldn't see it.

'They'll be ok. They just need to know Naruto isn't going to be taken away again.'

The nurse bowed, and left Kakashi alone to his thoughts.


	12. Chapter 12

**Title:** You are my sunshine

**Rating:** G

**Pairing / Characters: **Uzumaki Naruto, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Shizune, Iruka, Kakashi, Shikamaru, Sakura

**Word Count: **2, 605 words

**Warnings: **Nothing

**Summary: **Naruto recovers from his ordeal, and learns to trust himself and his friends

**A/N: **At last! It's done! Hallelujah! You know, this was originally only supposed to be a couple of chapters, nothing like it turned out to be in the end. I guess my typing got away from me. Its weird how that happens…

FOR EVERYONE WHO R&R THE FIRST EIGHT CHAPTERS… NOW READ THE REST!

The smell of the flowers woke him up.

Naruto turned his head, and the first thing he saw was an arrangement of flowers on the table beside his bed. Naruto lifted himself up onto one elbow, staring at the fragrant purple and blue blooms in surprise. He reached out and brushed a finger against a large blossom, and that was when something else caught his attention.

There were flowers on the windowsill.

Naruto's jaw dropped. Not just one bunch, not even two, but several. Now completely upright, he stared around the room in shock, wondering where all the flowers had come from. They covered every surface, from the tables, atop the machines in the corner, lining the walls, the chairs, the extra tables that had been brought in… the only clear path was from the door to his bed.

'Did they buy out Yamanaka flowers or something?' he wondered aloud. Pushing back the bedclothes, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, and stood up somewhat shakily, holding on to the bed until he felt able to walk.

There was a little card accompanying the purple and blue flowers. Naruto picked it up, reading the words and the signature before placing it gently on the table. Hinata…

His process around the room was slow, but it gave him time to study each individual arrangement.

Cherry blossoms from Sakura-chan.

Some nondescript flowers with frogs in them.

'Jiraiya,' he murmured.

Daisies from Tsunade.

Cosmos from Ino.

Roses from Iruka.

Frangipanis from Kakashi-sensei.

A huge floral arrangement with a bowl and a set of chopsticks from Ichiraku ramen.

Flowers from Konohamaru, Udon and Moegi.

There were even several arrangements with names he didn't recognize, nothing to make them stand out save for the ANBU mark each of the cards bore.

And every single one of his friends had sent him a bunch of flowers…

Dazedly, Naruto made his way over to the bed, Iruka's words echoing in his mind.

'…_you are so loved…'_

For the first time in nearly three months, Naruto smiled.

'Ne, ne, Tsunade no baachan, when can I go home?'

Tsunade frowned at him. Naruto was sitting up in bed, a bowl of ramen in one hand, chopsticks in the other, and the most eager expression in his eyes.

'You want to go home already?'

He nodded. 'And I want to take my flowers with me.'

Her frown deepened. Naruto had been in the hospital for roughly a week and a half, and she was more than aware that the nightmares had not stopped. Granted, they hadn't worsened, but they were the reason she didn't want him to leave, not wanting him to be left alone with his terrible thoughts. The trouble was, that despite his terrible weight loss, he was physically healthy – nothing a few more good nights of sleep and several dozens of helpings of ramen wouldn't cure, and she suspected that Naruto knew it.

'Naruto…'

He put down the bowl. 'Please?'

Damn it. He had spent most of his time in the hospital sleeping, and when he was awake, he refused to talk about what had happened, making it difficult for Tsunade to judge the state of his mental health.

Tsunade studied him carefully. There were still dark circles under his eyes, and his eyes still hadn't regained their old sparkle despite his eagerness to go home. 'Well…' she began slowly, 'if you're sure you're up to it, I suppose you can go home today.'

'Really? Really? _Really?'_

'Yes, really,' Tsunade said, sitting down beside him. 'Naruto, listen to me. I know that you don't want to stay here, which is why I'm letting you go, but I want you to come to me if you need anything, do you hear me? Anything, no matter what it is or what time it is. If you don't want to be alone, or you just want someone to talk to…'

Naruto blinked up at her, surprised at how serious she sounded. 'Tsunade no baachan –'

Tsunade ruffled his hair. 'I don't want to lose you now that I've found you again. You're a brat, but an important one. Now do I have your word?'

Naruto nodded. 'I promise,' he told her simply.

Naruto stood alone in his apartment, surprise etched into his features. This wasn't right, it couldn't be right… he hadn't set foot in his apartment for two months, and yet, it was almost cleaner than when he had left it.

The windows sparkled, open just wide enough to catch the warm breeze. The curtains had been washed, the early afternoon sunshine making patterns on the walls through the lacy nets. The floors had been washed and polished, his bed was made, the kitchen sparkled just as much as the windows did, and when he opened the fridge, he was shocked to find it full of food. Homemade ramen, cup ramen, salads, rice, sushi… all of it easy to heat up and eat. Once again, Iruka's words echoed in his mind. _'…you are so loved…'_

Naruto's eyes shone. Turning once more to take in the apartment, he began to arrange his flowers on every available surface. Their cheerful colours lit up the apartment even more, and he took great pleasure in the small task. Nearly an hour later, he locked the door behind him and went in search of his friends.

Neji stretched until his back ached, yawning. 'Maybe we should go back to the hospital,' he remarked. 'Naruto might actually be awake this time, and we can see how he is.'

A sudden excited expression crossed Hinata's face and she jumped up, her eyes sparkling. 'Naruto-kun!'

Neji blinked as she pushed past him, flying down the stairs and flinging her arms around a familiar orange clad figure who staggered slightly, nearly losing his balance.

Naruto found himself laughing as she very uncharacteristically buried her head in his shoulder, hugging him. It wasn't just that – it was the sight of his friends doing exactly as she had, running down the stairs towards him, surrounding him, most of them talking at the same time.

'Oi, should you be out of the hospital so soon?'

'We missed you…'

'Did you get the flowers?'

'You need to eat more…'

'Are you sure you're all right?'

'Is there anything you need?'

'Oi! You lot! One at a time!' Shikamaru exclaimed. 'We can't all shout at him –'

But for the first time since waking up in the hospital, Naruto's eyes sparkled with life, no longer dulled with half remembered pain.

Hinata suddenly realized what she was doing, and she jerked back, flushing. Sakura had no such qualms however, and for the first time that Naruto could remember, threw her arms around him and hugged him. Naruto's jaw nearly hit the floor as Ino elbowed her out of the way and proceeded to do the same thing.

He couldn't help it, laughter rising up in his throat as he looked into their faces.

'Iruka-sensei… he told me that you found me,' he said suddenly. 'He told me you all looked and looked –'

Ino glared at him. 'Of course we did, you idiot. Did you really think we –'

She clapped her hands over her mouth abruptly, remembering. 'Naruto…'

Naruto glared back, the last thing on his mind what Ino was thinking. 'That's not what I meant! I was trying to say thank you!'

Ino's eyes filled with tears. 'You're welcome,' she whispered.

'Naruto – this is yours.' Sakura held out her hand, the necklace on her palm sparkling.

Naruto's eyes widened. 'You found it –'

'Not us. Two peddlers found it, that's how we knew where to look for you,' Neji told him.

Naruto reached for the necklace and put it on, tucking it into his jacket. 'I thought I would never get it back.'

His stomach growled, and a sheepish expression crossed his face.

'Er… I think I'm hungry… ah! Why don't we get some ramen? My treat,' he said, flinging out his arms to encompass the entire group.

At that, everyone laughed. Some things never changed.

Naruto stood in the kitchen, fists clenched, his eyes on the growing shadows around him. A part of his mind screamed at him to put on the lights, to get out of the apartment, to go and find Kakashi-sensei, or Iruka-sense or Tsunade no baachan, but he did neither of them, remaining exactly where he was, the grip on his kunai so tight he could feel every ridge on the handle.

He was afraid.

Just then there was a knock on the door, sounding unnaturally loud in the silence. Naruto flinched, backing up until he was against the wall, bringing up the kunai. His hands were shaking as he fought to control the panic raging through him.

The voice outside quelled the terror, but only slightly.

'Naruto? It's Iruka…'

Naruto couldn't move at first, but he forced his unwilling limbs to put away the kunai, to walk towards the door and swing it open.

'Iruka-sensei… what are you doing here?'

His voice was shaking just as much as his hands were, and Iruka noticed it at once.

'I thought you'd like some company,' he said simply. 'Can I come in?'

Naruto nodded, stepping to one side as Iruka switched on the light.

'I see you brought your flowers home,' he remarked. 'Did one of the nurses help you?'

Naruto relaxed still further. 'No… I used kage bunshin. I thought they would look nice here.'

'They do. Have you eaten?' Iruka asked, moving over to the fridge and opening it. 'Aha… ramen. Come on, let me make dinner…'

Naruto wondered how Iruka had known he needed someone, but decided against actually asking.

'Tsunade-sama!'

Tsunade glanced up as Shizune burst into her office, her expression as frantic as her tone was. She went cold, fearing the worst.

'What's wrong?'

'The two ANBU members we had in captivity – they escaped half an hour ago, killing their ANBU guards. I've got other ANBU teams looking for them, but we can't find them as yet-'

'Oh my god,' Tsunade whispered. 'Shizune – I let Naruto go from the hospital yesterday – he's in better health now and he knows it –'

For a moment, the two of them stared at each other, the same panic in their eyes.

'Shizune – find Shikamaru and the genin, check if Naruto is with them. Also, get Kakashi, Gai, Kurenai and Asuma in here… they'll be able to help look for him and those two. Take Iruka with you – he'll know where Naruto likes to go… and for the love of god, hurry!'

Jiraiya was already standing at the door, and as Shizune flew out of the office, both he and Tsunade went after her.

Shikamaru and the genin were on the way to the training grounds when Shizune and a white faced Iruka ran over.

'Is something wrong?' Shikamaru asked, alarmed at their expressions.

'Have any of you seen Naruto?' Iruka demanded.

Sakura went cold. 'No,' she whispered. 'No, he didn't – I mean, he couldn't have –'

It was clear what she was thinking, the same thought reflected on Chouji's face, on Kiba's, on Neji's…

'No Sakura, he didn't – it's not that,' Iruka said swiftly. 'I was with him last night… no, the two ANBU members who kidnapped him… they escaped this morning, killing their guards. We need to find Naruto before they do –'

As Iruka's words sank in, Shikamaru's eyes bulged. 'They – they escaped? You saw what they did to him and you let them escape? How could you be so stupid, so blind to what they're capable of? Have you lost it completely?'

It was the first time Iruka had seen Shikamaru so angry.

'They kept him chained to a wall, for god's sake! How the hell could you let monsters like that escape?'

Shikamaru turned. 'Split up into two groups. He could be at the river, or the monument – Iruka-sensei – did you check his apartment?'

'Empty,' Iruka confirmed. 'No sign of forced entry.'

Shikamaru swore. 'Right. Move fast, they might already have him again.'

Iruka grabbed his arm. 'Shikamaru – we're meeting outside the Hokage mansion in an hour. Whether you find him or not, meet us there.'

'Right,' Shikamaru said briefly, and ran off.

It was a sight most people found startling – a figure in a bright orange jumpsuit wielding a battered frying pan, murder in his blue eyes, chasing after a man and a woman wearing faded brown uniforms.

'How – dare – you – try – something – like – that – again!' Naruto yelled.

Fuelled by sheer rage and the power of the nine tails, he chased after his tormenters, through the busy streets of Konoha, across the rooftops, unwittingly choosing a path towards the Hokage mansion.

'In – my – own – apartment – you sick – sick – pathetic – excuses – for human – beings –'

There was a crowd gathered outside the Hokage mansion, but Naruto didn't pay it much attention. He was too angry, too frustrated, too bent on damaging his tormenters to notice that the crowd comprised of nine genin, four chuunins, five jounins and two sannin. They had made him feel like a helpless child, and he was determined to never let anyone do that to him again.

The two former ANBU members leapt off the rooftop and Naruto followed them, brandishing the frying pan as they turned to attack him.

He grinned menacingly. 'Bring it on.'

'Animal,' the woman hissed, nothing but contempt in her tone.

Naruto's grip tightened on the frying pan.

'I – AM – NOT AN ANIMAL!' he roared.

That yell of sheer fury brought everyone to a halt. Kakashi's visible eye widened as he recognized the voice and the accompanying chakra.

Turning, he stared at the sight of one nine tails powered Naruto, facing off the two ANBU members with a…

'Frying pan?' Asuma asked incredulously. 'A frying pan?'

Naruto wasn't paying them any attention. Without warning, he leapt forward, bringing the pan down in a smooth arc, the flat of the pan crashing down on the female ANBU member's head. She went down without a fight, but her partner was more cautious. He leapt back, out of the range of the frying pan's reach, bringing up his hands in preparation of a jutsu. The seal of the tiger…

Naruto didn't give him a chance to use the jutsu. He reversed the pan, jabbing the handle into his opponent's stomach. As the man doubled over, Naruto grabbed the handle, twisting the pan and hitting him across the face with it and sending him flying. Still moving, he threw the pan at him, watching in satisfaction as it hit him across the jaw.

Only then did Naruto look up to see the expressions of shock, bewilderment, and amusement on the faces of the people gathered outside the mansion. He glared at them all.

'Someone owes me a new frying pan,' he snapped. 'I was trying to make breakfast when they snuck in, and I ended up using my only pan and I want a new one, dammit!'

Kakashi surprised everyone by bursting into laughter. He was ok. Naruto was going to be just fine.

Naruto glared at him, but the funny side of the situation soon struck him, and his own laughter bubbled up.

It was his way of the ninja after all, never to give up, never to lose hope, and never to stop believing in his friends and himself.

As long as he remembered that, the world kept turning in the right direction anyway.

The sun came out from behind the clouds, illuminating Naruto's bright hair and laughing blue eyes.


End file.
